Friday, August 31, 2012

I haven't posted in a miiiiiiiiiiinute, but my life has been so busy, that I've hardly even been near a computer! I started school this week, and with school in the AM/early PM and work until 10 PM with menial tasks to do when I get home, I just am too unmotivated to blog! haha. I dunno if anyone even reads this, but it's good for me, and that's all that matters.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Well, it has been quite some time since I've posted, and it is with a very heavy heart that I explain why.

I never talked about it on this blog, because I try not to put private matters on here, but my beautiful mother was taken from us on August 10, 2012 at 9:05 PM. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on November 4, and it was so progressive, that her body could not fight it. We were all there, including my sister (and my best friend) who flew up from Savannah. She had been in the hospital for the last several weeks, and the final week was a terrible regression in her health. It was so difficult to watch. I hate to say I'm glad that she passed on, but she was in unbearable pain, and now she's in a better place. I was so lucky to have such a wonderful human being as a mother for almost 26 years. I couldn't have had anyone better. Ever.

How many 9-year-olds can say that they raised three children for their mother who had to work full-time to support them all when her husband was killed in a car crash? My mother was amazing. Three younger brothers she raised as a third-grader. She never really had a childhood. So selfless. She then grew up to be a cardiac nurse, so she was constantly taking care of others more than herself. Same with my grandmother--she was a nurse all of her life, and still takes care of people--at the ripe age of 89! I want to make them both proud of me, because they're both my role models.

The positive I can take out of it is that it definitely pushed me to get my butt in gear. I scheduled an appointment with my advisor at Pitt, and am now re-enrolled to get a degree in Nutrition! I could not be more excited about it. I'm also saving my money and getting my act together to move out with my sister and get an apartment, as well as putting bills in my name and what-have-you. It's going to definitely be a struggle, but it's going to make me a stronger person, I know it. My mother instilled a lot of courage and determination in me, and I need to put it to good use.

She also made me realize how short life can be. Don't spend your life focused on the negative and be as good of a person as you can. I'm going to try to volunteer as much as possible and just try to be a generally kindhearted person. So many people over the past week have told me what a giving and genuine person my mother was--I knew it, and I want that family tradition to continue. My grandmother is also an amazing woman. I have been blessed with so many extraordinary people in my life to lead me in the right direction.

Friends have also been a blessing. Dunno where I'd be without them. They've been there for me through this entire struggle, and pick me up when I'm feeling down. I owe them more than I can give, but I will give them all that I can < 333. My sister is my very best friend and we've been each other's crutch.

Although I had my mother for only a short time, I consider myself luckier than so many others who never even met their mothers or have mothers that neglect or disregard them. She raised me on good morals and values, and I'm going to put those into practice everyday. I will never be as good of a woman as she was, but I'm going to damn well try. Love you, Mama Jo.

Work on Sunday actually went pretty quickly. Eats included a Chobani around noon, a tofurkey sandwich around 3, and an orange around 4:30.

It was storming BADLY around 5 or so, and I was a little upset, because I wanted to go running after work. Magically, it stopped around 6:30, so I could go running!

I'm glad that happened, because the run went pretty well! I ran to the gym (about 3.3 miles), did a couple circuits of strength training, then ran home (about 5.9 miles). I felt pretty strong the whole time! The night was gorgeous too--so red :).

When I got home, I devoured a chocolate milk and a lot of water! A little while later, I made a kale salad with tomatoes, carrots, green peppers, mushrooms, a steamable wild rice/brown rice/veggie combo with a black bean burger. It was definitely satisfying. I didn't get a picture, because I'm lazy and forgetful.

Yesterday, I woke up around 8:30, because I went to bed rather late on Sunday. I had my usual pre-run breakfast, only instead of a Clif Bar, I had a Picky Bar:

I ran 7.3 miles, and they were pretty good miles :). The weather was GORGEOUS. When I got home from my run, I did about 15 minutes of core strength and refueled with coconut water and a GNC shake.

I walked a BUNCH yesterday (around 7ish miles?). 4 or so of those miles, I was carrying a heavy-ass bag of groceries. Thank God I have muscles. haha. I had a chiro appt at 3, then had to do some errands. Right before my chiro appointment, I had a tofurkey sandwich.

A little while later, I stopped at Loafer's to grab a blackberry/blueberry muffin. Sooooooooooooo good sdlkfjdlkjfdf.

Thank God it was gorgeous yesterday, considering all the walking I did. On the flipside, I got some sunburn, to say the least. haha. It'll turn into a tan, it's fine! I got some essentials at the grocery store, before heading home: veggies, tofurkey, Ezekiel bread, Clif bars, and mouthwash (definitely essential).

When I got home, I was pretty hungry. I had a banana and one of those Sabra hummus/pretzel packs, It had been yeeeears since I had one of those. So good!

A little while later, I made another kale salad--pretty much the same as the night before, but I put dressing on this one--Bolthouse Farms Ginger dressing. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good, and very little fat/few calories!

I also drank a ton of water yesterday, but I definitely needed it!!!

This morning, I had some Kashi Whole Grain Puffs with almond milk and a serving of walnuts and chia seeds, along with my chocolate Shakeology. Another satisfying breakfast :).

I work from 9-5 today, then I'm running to the gym for some strength training!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Maaaaan. Last night was super fun. Before we get to that, though...let's recap the day:

The run was ooookay. It was hot/humid, so my muscles were being ragey--aaaand the GI tract, because of the mindless eating I did the previous night. haha. I did 8.25 miles, though, and was sufficiently sweaty/tired afterward.

I also did 15ish minutes of core strengthening afterward. Proof:

Multitasking. haha

I refueled in the usual way (coconut water + GNC Shake + a looot of water!), showered, and stretched/foam-rolled.

For lunch (around 3:30), I ate a tofurkey sandwich with some mango. It hit the spot!

We left around 5:15 for the concert, stopped to grab some snacks at GetGo, then were on our way to the Wiz Khalifa/Mac Miller concert! On the drive there, I ate a pinapple Chobani and a KIND bar (pomegranate + blueberry + pistachio)--pretty good (around 6)! I didn't take a picture, because I was lazy. haha.

We got to the concert, and Mac Miller was going to go on soon. Mac was GREAT. He was so excited--this was his first huge show in his hometown. Can't even imagine how he felt. So happy for him :).

Almost everyone in the audience had a lighter (for obvious reasons, if you know what Mac and Wiz advocate. haha).

Wiz was awesome too! I have a big crush on him, but he's engaged to the beautiful Amber Rose. Oh well. haha.

I danced my BOOTY off. I was a gross mess. So fun. I fueled in the right way too (banana + Blueberry Clif Bar--carbs and protein, baby). It ended around 11, and we got out of there...well, kind of. We were stuck in the parking lot for almost an hour, aaaaand then there was a huge accident on 22, so we took a long-ass detour. We stopped at Sheetz, because we had to peeeee. haha. I bought a Lara Uberbar, because I was curious how they tasted! Soooo good. I also ate an apple in the car, while we were waiting in the parking lot.

I didn't get home until 2:30--we were driving for over 3 hours! If the accident was due to drunk drivers, I'm severely disappointed :(. No excuse for that. None.

I was suuuper tired, but had the energy in me to floss and brush my teeth and wash my face. Currently patting myself on the back right now.

Today, I work 11-7, then if the weather cooperates/my body is up to it, I'm going to run to the gym, do some lifting, then run home.

So, if myfitnesspal is correct, I definitely wasn't eating enough during the day, and that's why I was always hungry near the end of the night. I ate a sufficient amount yesterday, and I was fine when I got home. Lesson learned. haha.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Have been listening to them a lot lately. Brings me back to being 15, 16 again. Love it.

As a prologue, read this: http://www.rodale.com/gross-food. Highly interesting, especially for someone who wants to study nutrition (AKA me. haha). A lot of that information is super-scary! I hate to be one of those people who "preach," (those crazy PETA people scare me), and while I am a vegetarian and I try to be an avid practicer of holistic eating, I'm not one of those people that believe "YOU SHOULD LIVE HOW I LIVE, BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST/ONLY WAY TO LIVE." Do what you wanna do, ya know? Yup.

So, I haven't blogged in two days! Crazy, right? Let's see here...

So, on Thursday, I ran before work, and it actually went pretty well! I wore compression pants to bed, and I think that helped with muscle fatigue. I ran 7.3 miles, and I finished pretty strong! I did about 15 minutes of core strengthening afterward, and that went well also. I need to find different exercises, because I think my body is getting used to these exercises. I refueled with coconut water + GNC shake. Before I left for work, I ate a tofurkey sandwich.

Work was actually pretty okay. I worked from 3-10. No break, obviously, so I bought a Clif Builder's bar for "dinner." How exciting, right? haha. It actually wasn't too bad! I bought the Chocolate Mint flavor:

I think somewhere in there, I also had a Jackie Warner bar, and I also had a Chobani.

When I got home from work, I was still hungry, so I ate a spoonful of Chia Kind Peanut Butter, and I think I had a Picky Bar? Don't remember exactly. I felt better, though. haha.

Yesterday, I woke up around 7 (Shakeology + chia seeds and a Clif Bar for breakfast), and headed to the gym around 9. I did 4 miles on the resistance cardio machines (while watching USA Women's Soccer kick some serious Kiwi booty!) and then did 15ish minutes of total-body strength training. My arms were a little pooped, but my legs are beasts!

I refueled as usual (coconut water and GNC Shake), walked to my chiropractor appointment, then headed to work. I stopped at Rite Aid on the way there to get my multivitamins (They were BOGO! I'm stocked with multis for 6 months. Super pumped. haha.).

I also stopped at GNC to pick up my Lean Shakes (was running low), then Giant Eagle, because I needed a couple coconut waters and protein bars. I tried a Perfectly Simple Peanut Butter protein bar, because I had a coupon for it. I mean, it tasted pretty much how I thought it would--not bad, but not impressive. haha. I also bought a Clif Builder's bar in Peanut Butter, in case I got overwhelmingly hungry at work later. I ate a tofurkey sandwich before I started work.

I worked from 2-10. I took a break around 4 and treated a coworker to lunch, because he had bought a previous lunch. We went to La Cappella, and I got the four cheese panini with zucchini fries, and we share an appetizer of mozzarella sticks. Ugh, remind me never to do that again. All that made my stomach BLEGH for the rest of the night. haha. Super yummy, though.

Throughout the course of the night, I ate a Jackie Warner bar, a Clif Builder's bar, and a passion fruit Chobani. Clearly, I was hungry.

When I got home, I ate far too much (throw in a Picky Bar, some granola, a couple pretzels and a couple spoons of ChiaKind. haha), and my sleep suffered from it. I felt SICK. I need to either eat more during the day or just eat more fiber. Grossss.

Welll, I just finished my Shakeology + chia and Clif Bar, and I plan on running 7-8ish miles on the different route I ran last Saturday night. It's a nice route :). Then, some core strength!

I think I'm going to start logging my meals again, only because I want to make sure I'm getting enough of all of the essentials, and not too much of the essentials also (I KNOW I ate way too much fat yesterday, and that's why I slept like poop). Fitday is a pretty decent site, if you wanted a rec!

Alright, time to get ready for my run! I'm going to see Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller tonight! Hopefully seeing a lot of friends tonight too :). Tomorrow, I work (surprise!), and I'm planning on running to the gym afterward for some strength training, then running home. We'll see how that goes.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

without saying "Happy Birthday" to Jerry Garcia! The Dead are monumental, and I love Captain Trips < 333. haha.

So, I left you off before my run. The run actually went pretty well! It wasn't super humid, so my muscles were pretty content :). Didn't feel the need to stop, and I felt strong uphill, so that's always good. Finished strong, and I even had it in me to lift the heavier weight on the machines at the gym. 8.7 miles and then three circuits of strength training--I can lift the entire weight stack on the leg machines! Loving it. haha. Refueled as usual (coconut water, GNC Shake, LOTS of water).

I showered, then walked down to the store. I stopped at Loafer's Bread on the way, because I wanted to see what muffins they had. Strawberry Pecan. Oh.My.God. SO GOOD. I bought two--one for me, one for my mum. She didn't want hers. Shame, huh? haha. I like Loafer's because they're a whole GRAIN bakery. All of their products are made with whole grains. Great for a post-run snack.

When I got home a few hours later, I ate a honey Chobani with some Chia Kind Buffalo Dirt Nut Butter in it (it's peanut butter with chia seeds in it! The Buffalo Dirt has mocha in it as well). I also had a Picky Bar, because I was hungryyyyyy.

I fed my puppy and took him for a walk around the neighborhood. He definitely gets a workout, because it's up a huge hill. haha.

Ozzie, my little man < 333.

A little while after we got home, I decided to actually cook a little for dinner (crazy, I know!). I made a kale salad with tomatoes, carrots, green peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms, and this soy "chicken" that was actually SUPER good!!!! I didn't take a picture of it, because I'm lame.

I ate that and watched the latest episode of "The Newsroom"--really good show, by the way! I also stretched and foam rolled at the same time. I clearly can't do one thing at a time.

I went outside for a little while and cut my toenails and fingernails (I HATE doing that inside...blegh.). I listened to classic rock, because that's the music of my life. haha.

Later on, I had a Jackie Warner bar and a scoop of regular Chia Kind peanut butter. I don't know if I'm just a pig or I burn a lot more calories than I think I do, because I'm almost always hungry. Lame problem. haha.

I woke up this morning, had my usual pre-run breakfast of Shakeology + chia seeds and a Clif Bar. Planning on 6-7 miles with some core strengthening! Then, I work from 3-10. So exciting.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Sooooooooo, work yesterday sucked. Need to find a new job. Only gonna get worse when the boss leaves :(.

The upside? I went out to lunch with a coworker around 2, and we got La Cappella, which I freaking love. I didn't take a picture, but I had the four-cheese panini with zucchini fries. Sooooo good. Oooof course I drank water. haha.

I also had a mango Chobani around 11:30 AM.

After work, I ran to the gym, did a couple more miles of resistance cardio, then did about 15 minutes of core strength. Was sufficiently sweaty/smelly by the end of it. haha. I refueled with a coconut water and GNC shake.

On the way home, I had to stop to run a few errands. I walked from the gym all the way home--about 5-6 miles? It was enjoyable, though. Took some lovely pictures!

When I got home, I was still kinda hungry (I exercised a lot, and I knew I was going to run a decent amount today), so I ate a frozen dark chocolate banana, a Soyjoy, and a Picky Bar. Don't judge me--I was hungry :(. I also sat around with my puppy and watched "True Blood." I'm just not as into it as I used to be, though. I'm still as into Joe Magnaniello, though--let's just clarify < 3.

What a goober < 333333.

I didn't finish "True Blood," because I was being ADD. I checked my e-mail, stretched/foam-rolled, and I went to bed. Exciting day, I know.

I use Shakeology and I LOVE it, but it's so freaking pricey! I need to save money for schoolbooks, health insurance, apartment rent, and eventually a freaking car--and my pisspoor salary is not helping matters. haha. Sooooooo, I need to save in any way I can. I'm basically not buying any new clothes for 50 years, and I'm not going out nearly as much as I had previously...AKA I haven't gone out for weeks. haha. I've always been curious to try Vega protein, but I didn't want to stray from Shakeology. Welp...money is what is of vital importance here (which sucks to say), and I know Vega is a good brand, so I think I'm switching. The twins at Twin Cakes Bakery swear by it, and they're freakishly gorgeous and fit (look at their blog! Purely Twins), so I'm going to give it a go.